The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, to elect the eight

U.S. representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from the state of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

and

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

. The primaries were held on August 9. Wisconsin was one of two states (along with Virginia) where the party that won the most seats did not win the most votes in the state, although not every seat was contested in Wisconsin.

District 1

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

incumbent

Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member o ...

, who had represented the 1st district since 1999, ran for re-election. This district had a PVI of R+3. Since October 29, 2015 Ryan sat as the

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative and

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives. The office was established in 1789 by Article I, Section 2 of the U. ...

=Eliminated in primary

= *

Paul Nehlen Paul Nehlen (born May 9, 1969) is an American businessman, white supremacist, retired politician, and former Congressional candidate from Wisconsin. He gained notoriety for his controversial remarks while running in 2016 and 2018 in the Republica ...

, senior vice-president of operations at Neptune-Benson

Campaign

Nehlen filed campaign papers to run against Ryan on April 1, 2016, and officially launched his campaign on April 14, with the opening of his first campaign office in

Kenosha Kenosha () is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Kenosha County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 99,986 which made it the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, Kenosh ...

, Wisconsin. Nehlen claims to have been a Paul Ryan supporter and worked for his election in earlier campaigns but at least one conservative media report has questioned that claim. According to a ''Janesville Gazette'' report about his campaign launch, "Nehlen declined to talk about issues such as abortion and would not say what presidential candidate he supports or whether he would support a Republican running for the presidency." Nehlen ran on a platform calling for secure borders, enforcement of existing immigration laws, and reduced government spending, and he opposed the

Trans-Pacific Partnership The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), or Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, was a highly contested proposed trade agreement between 12 Pacific Rim economies, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singa ...

treaty. On May 5, 2016, Nehlen pledged to support

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

for the presidency. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on July 14, 2016, that Nehlen had hired Dan Backer as his campaign treasurer. Backer is nationally known for his fundraising activities. In an August 2016 radio interview, Nehlen suggested that the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

should "have a discussion" about the possibility of deporting

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

-adherent Muslims living in the country. The remark occurred when Nehlen was asked about his thoughts regarding the dispute between

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

presidential candidate

and

Khizr and Ghazala Khan Khizr Muazzam Khan (born 1950) and Ghazala Khan (born 1951) are the Pakistani American parents of United States Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in 2004 during the Iraq War. The couple received international attention following a speec ...

, the parents of Humayun Khan, an American Muslim

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

who died in a

suicide bombing A suicide attack is any violent attack, usually entailing the attacker detonating an explosive, where the attacker has accepted their own death as a direct result of the attacking method used. Suicide attacks have occurred throughout histor ...

while serving in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

in 2004. During the interview, Nehlen also said that every

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in the United States should be monitored for signs of potential radicalization. Because of Nehlen's support for Trump, Trump publicly thanked him on Twitter and later told ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' that Nehlen was "running a very good campaign", even though he did not endorse him. On August 5, 2016, Trump endorsed Ryan's re-election after pressure from fellow Republican leaders.

Endorsements

Results

Nehlen lost the Republican Party primary to Ryan by 68 points.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Ryan Solen,

Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public educa ...

Veteran's Caucus Secretary/Treasurer

=Eliminated in primary

= * Tom Breu, plumbing engineer

=Declined

= *

Rob Zerban Rob Zerban is an entrepreneur, former Kenosha County Supervisor, and Congressional candidate. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Zerban's campaign for the United States House of Representatives in 2012 and 2014 largely focused on protecting ...

, former member of the

Kenosha County Kenosha County is located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 169,151 as of the 2020 census, making it the eighth most populous county in Wisconsin. The county shares the same name as the city of Kenosh ...

Board and nominee for this seat in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Jason Lebeck, I.T. technician

Results

Independents

* Spencer Zimmerman, appears on the ballot as "Trump Conservative"

General election

Results

District 2

Democratic incumbent

Mark Pocan Mark William Pocan ( ; born August 14, 1964) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is based in the state capital, Madison. A member of th ...

, who had represented the 2nd district since 2013, ran for re-election. This district had a PVI of D+17.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Peter Theron, mathematics professor and nominee for this seat in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Results

General election

Results

District 3

Democratic incumbent

Ron Kind Ronald James Kind (born March 16, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for , since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is in the western part of the state and is anchored by La Crosse ...

, who had represented the 3rd district since 1996, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 56.5% of the vote in 2014 and the district had a PVI of D+5.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Myron Buchholz, retired teacher

Results

General election

Results

District 4

Democratic incumbent

Gwen Moore Gwendolynne Sophia Moore (born April 18, 1951) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2005. In 2016, Moore was elected to serve as caucus whip of the Congressional Black Caucus for the 115th United States Congres ...

, who had represented the 4th district since 2005, ran for re-election. She was re-elected with 70.2% of the vote in 2014 and the district had a PVI of D+23.

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= * Gary George, former state senator

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

=Declined

= *Dan Sebring, automobile repair shop owner and nominee for this seat in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Andy Craig, political activist and 2014 candidate for

Secretary of State of Wisconsin The Secretary of State of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin, and is second (behind the Lieutenant Governor) in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Wiscon ...

Results

General election

Results

District 5

Republican incumbent

Jim Sensenbrenner Frank James Sensenbrenner Jr. (; born June 14, 1943) is an American politician who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 2021 (numbered as the 9th district until 2003). He is a member of the Republican Party. ...

, who had represented the 5th district since 1978, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 69.5% of the vote in 2014 and the district had a PVI of R+13.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

Khary Penebaker Khary D. Penebaker ( ; born October 22, 1977) is an American businessman, political candidate, and member of the Democratic National Committee. Personal life Penebaker was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1977. Penebaker's mother Joyce committed su ...

, businessman and entrepreneur

Results

Libertarian primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *John Arndt

Results

General election

Results

District 6

Republican incumbent

Glenn Grothman Glenn S. Grothman (; born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to his seat in 2014. Grothman r ...

who had represented the 6th district since 2015, ran for re-election. He was elected with 56.8% of the vote in 2014 and the district has a PVI of R+5.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Sarah Lloyd, farmer

=Eliminated in primary

= *Michael Slattery, farmer

Results

General election

Results

District 7

Republican incumbent

Sean Duffy Sean Patrick Duffy (born October 3, 1971) is an American politician, prosecutor, former sports commentator and reality television personality who is currently a co-host of ''The Bottom Line'' on Fox Business, as well as a contributor on Fox News. ...

, who had represented the 7th district since 2011, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 59.3% of the vote in 2014 and the district has a PVI of R+2.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *

, incumbent U.S. Representative

=Eliminated in primary

= *Don Raihala, small business owner

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= *Mary Hoeft, university professor

=Eliminated in primary

= *Joel Lewis,

Marathon County Marathon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 138,013. Marathon County's seat is Wausau. It was founded in 1850, created from a portion of Portage County. At that time the coun ...

Board Supervisor

=Withdrawn

= *Kirk Bangstad, political consultant *Ethel Quisler, independent contractor

=Declined

= *Kelly Westlund, businesswoman, Ashland City Council member and nominee for this seat in

Results

General election

Results

District 8

Republican incumbent

Reid Ribble Reid James Ribble (born April 5, 1956) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. Early life and education Ribble is a third generation Wisconsin resident. He was bo ...

, who had represented the 8th district since 2011, announced on January 30, 2016 that he would retire at the end of his third term, opening the seat for the 2016 election. The district had a PVI of R+2.

Republican primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Mike Gallagher, retired U.S. Marine and former advisor to Governor Scott Walker

=Eliminated in primary

= *

Frank Lasee Frank Lasee (born December 11, 1961) is an American politician and former Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate. He represented the Wisconsin Senate, District 1, 1st Senate District from 2011 until 201 ...

, state senator * Terry McNulty,

Forestville, Wisconsin Forestville is a village in Door County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Ahnapee River. The population was 430 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Forestville. The village uses the 54213 ZIP code. The Ahnapee Stat ...

village president, Southern Door School Board member

=Withdrawn

= * Gary Schomburg, former Hilbert, WI village board member

=Declined

= * Andre Jacque, state representative *

John Macco John Macco (born September 23, 1958) is an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he has represented the 88th district in the Wisconsin State Assembly since 2015. Early life and career Macco was born in Gre ...

, state representative *

John Nygren John Nygren (born February 27, 1964) is an American insurance and financial services agent, politician, and lobbyist. A Republican, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for nearly 14 years, serving from January 2007 to December 2020. ...

, state representative *

Roger Roth Roger J. Roth Jr. (born February 5, 1978) is an American politician from Wisconsin. A Republican, he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2007 to 2011, and a member of the Wisconsin State Senate since 2015. He was the Republican nom ...

, state senator *

David Steffen David Steffen is an American politician and businessman. He represents Wisconsin's 4th Assembly district, which includes parts of Green Bay, Howard, Allouez and Ashwaubenon. Education A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, David Steffen gradu ...

, state representative*

Jim Steineke James Steineke (born November 23, 1970) is a Wisconsin real estate agent and Republican politician. He was the majority leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly from January 2015 until his resignation from the Assembly in July 2022. He had represe ...

, Majority Leader of State Assembly * Chad Weininger, former state representative

Endorsements

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

=Nominee

= * Tom Nelson, County Executive of

Outagamie County Outagamie County is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 190,705. Its county seat is Appleton. Outagamie County is included in the Appleton, WI Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

and former state representative

=Declined

= * Penny Bernard Schaber, former state representative *

Eric Genrich Eric Genrich ( ; born October 8, 1979) is an American politician who has served as the mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin, since 2019. Genrich previously represented Green Bay in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2013 until 2019. Early life and educat ...

, state representative *

Steve Kagen Steven Leslie Kagen (born December 12, 1949) is an American politician and physician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was defeated in his bid for re-election in 2010 by Reid Ribble ...

, former U.S. Representative * Jamie Wall, businessman, nominee for this seat in

and candidate in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

Results

Independent

* Wendy Gribben, part-time grocery store employee * Robbie Hoffman, artist and psychologist

General election

Polling

Predictions

Results

References

External links

U.S. House elections in Wisconsin, 2016
at

Ballotpedia Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...

Campaign contributions
at

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{{2016 United States elections

2016 Wisconsin elections